Whispered Words And Empty Threats
by supernaturalsammy67
Summary: Dean takes a liking to violence. On someone he loves the most. Or is it really Dean? Limp, Angst, Hurt. One-shot. Season 2.


**Well well well- This little bugger is from a fantastic vid over on Youtube by the fab HereButNotRemembered and the vid was called This time-alt end. I came across it from a random search of fic inspiration...and it was reeaally inspiring. That gal has a good eye.**

**So this fic- matches the summary of her vid to an extent- no infringement meant or taken and I am in no way copying- its purely inspiration.**

**I'll leave it at a guess. Summary: Dean takes a liking to violence. On someone he loves the most. Hurt, Limp Sam, Evil Dean, or not so Dean...??**

**WARNING: That vid is great...I'm a nutter. Language, the usual.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this. Apart from the very random A/N**

**Just to let you lot, most of you anyway who are nice- that all the fics I've yet to do and finish will be in the next month or so...things will get done! I'll be broke...so...yeah, finish fics! Btw have a listen to 'I don't believe you' by Pink, quite fitting to this fic...;) Well, most of the song haha**

**Here we go...**

"Hey, Sam? Man are you alright?? Hey...Sammy?"

Slowly, groggily Sam came back, blinked up at Dean. "Dean?" _Oh God...that hurt. That fucking hurt..._

"Hey man- the friggin' shifter really got you..." Dean was smiling that eat shit grin, his arm outstretched and gripping onto Sam's shoulders. He looked down at Sam as if the world had dropped around him.

"...yeah?" Sam said in a small voice, it felt like it got him with a fucking ship. "Ow"

"Yeah well, that's what happens when you run into fists...and branches, dude he wasn't a freakin' tree"

"What!"_ Okay ow...tone it down...ow...ow...ooh. "_More like log Dean, and I didn't run into it- I didn't _see_ it. Freakin' looked like a tree"

Dean scoffed, fisted Sam's jacket and hefted in one strong tug until Sam was upright. "Well he hit you _with _a tree, if that helps" The worry in his eyes was dimming the more Sa followed, at least he didn't have a bad concussion.

Sam was lifting a hand to his head when Dean cut off the movement, showed Sam his own dirty hands and then with one finger wiped the side of Sam's face.

"Don't go sticking dirt into your damn wounds. You get another infection and I'll kick your ass" Dean held out his hand and pulled Sam to his feet.

_Oh, thanks Dean._

"You get 'im?" Sam suddenly asked, hissing in a breath as he took a step, balancing out from the T-Rex thud he felt.

Dean shifted, blinked a couple of times. "Yeah I got him. Nailed the bastard" Then he grinned.

And that was scary.

It wasn't too long after they'd lost their dad, and Dean's hunting technique had become a little...well...how could Sam put this without... He'd gone from Yogi to a Lake Placid version of a Grizzly. Anyway, Dean had been turning up bad on a few hunts- always getting cut up, getting clawed or bitten- even got a carpet burn from a werewolf.

Well it was _major _hairy. But he'd been a lot more reckless and this was one of the many times Sam had took a hit- although it was mainly both of them getting the brunt. Dean looked fairly okay this time and practically carried Sam through the thicket of trees back to the car.

"You need a hospital?" Dean asked as he slid behind the wheel.

"No..." Sam didn't want to shake his head, walking hurt enough. At least the leather was warm and soft on his aching back.

"Good" Dean said a little too bitterly. "But, hey" he said brightly. "The vision didn't come true huh? We're still safe...right?"

Sam winced, the damn reel had been on reply ever since he'd had the vision last week. "Yeah..." He whispered. _For now..._And the world just drifted out.

_Previously._

_Oh God...Oh God...Dean...no...nononononoonon-_

_"Sammy?"_

_Sam gasped, one fist over his heart, pulling at the shirt, just trying to take a full breath without panicing._

_Sam blinked, sweat fell into his eyes, cloyed at his skin like that was trying to suffacate him, sending too hot, too cold sensations all over his body. Sam heaved in a breath. "No" He brokenly pleaded._

_"Sammy?" Warn calloused fingers gripped his wrist, relaxed the straining muscles in his hand. "Dude?"_

_"Dream...bad dream, God Dean..."_

_"Sam, tell me what you saw." Sam looked up to Dean's stern and compassionate gaze. "It was a vision?"_

_Sam nodded, still heaving in breaths. His mind too overloaded to lie right now, he wouldn't admit but he _needed _Dean's comfort right now, needed to get this out._

_"I...you...God Dean, it was...y-you died...I mean, I-I killed you...I'm so sorry..."_

_"Hey, hey...calm down Sammy. C'mon slow breaths..." And he did, felt himself start to relax, felt the room stop spinning. "Tell me everything"_

_Sam hitched a breath, looked down at his fumbling hands. It was dark but from the light from the streetlamps he could see his brother enough. "You...you were running, away I think...uh...then there...I saw this flash and...I was staring right at you, I s-saw myself...aim the gun and just...I shot you in the heart Dean...you just...gave me this look...and fell...I...how could I do that...I c-can't..."_

_Sam clenched his eyes closed, a tear leaked free, dripped down on his grey t-shirt. His hair fell in his eyes like some messed up curtain. "Dean..."_

_"Sam, are you sure it was a vision?" No matter what Sam told Dean his brother seemed to just get stronger, his voice didn't falter nor did his eyes when Sam eventually looked up._

_Sam nodded. "Yeah...sure felt like one" He winced._

_Dean licked his lips. "Don't worry kiddo' we're gonna' figure this out"_

_Now..._

They weren't sure where exactly Sam's vision was supposed to happen, where it was absolutley _not-_going to play out. Sam said he thought he saw trees but he'd been pretty shaken up that night, sweats and nausea and the fact he wouldn't sleep more than a few hours for days after.

Still, the vision _hadn't _happened and Sam and Dean were still...

"Sam!"

Sam awoke with a gasp, pain instantly spiked in his head and he groaned. A tap made him jerk when it hit his foot and he scrunched his eyes in the early morning light to see what it was.

"You gonna' wake up at all today? It's nearly noon man. C'mon...we got a lot more gigs"

Sam frowned, then lastnights events came back in focus and the pounding in his temples explained that. "Wait...we have another hunt?"

"Yeah, get up Sam. The cars loaded"

Frowning, this time with confusion because _that _was new and didn't they _just _come back from a hunt a few hours into the morning? "You packed?" Sam croaked.

"Yeah" Dean's face came into view again, and Sam realised he was still fully-clothed, boots and all. "let's go"

Sam was ushered to the car rather than of his own accord and Dean threw him a wadded napkin. "Wipe your face or you'll scare everyone off"

"What?" Dean had just started the heavy engine when Sam stole a glance in the rearview, his eyes widening at the dark red patch, the dried riveluts still on his face.

Sam had a moment of shock to his system, Dean had obviously just carried him to bed, because he sure as hell didn't remember getting there and then just...left him in all his dirty, bloody clothes, left the wound on his head too. Sam canted his head towards his brother, he was smiling and turning the tapes over to play a louder song.

Sam felt stupid to bring it up, to actually _ask _his brother _why_ he hadn't cleaned up him and tucked him in, after all he was 23, he didn't need Dean to baby him like that but it still worried him that Dean could have just left him bleeding and gone to sleep, he knew it sounded weird, it sure felt weird but _Dean _never left Sam like that, even after some of their worse arguments and as far as Sam remembered, they hadn't argued.

Sam wet the napkin with one of the water bottles in the dash and carefully wiped away the blood, took some aspirin for the swelling lump he felt lodged above his temple, wondering madly _how _his brother had missed that.

Sam looked across, debated whether to ask. "Dean?"

"huh?"

"You uh...so you killed the shifter?" Sam squinted from the sunlight, unwavering fear the only thing he felt and it stood out to him he _shouldn't _be afraid of his brother.

Sam saw something akin to anger slam into Dean's eyes as he stared ahead at the road. "Yes Sam. You think I can't do my job right now or something?"

"What? No! No Dean I never meant that, I just..." His voice softened. "I just can't remember what happened...I saw you, then..." Sam sighed heavily. "I just wanna' know if you were okay, if you got the sonofabitch alright..." Sam softened his gaze. "I can't even remember...what happened..."

Dean paused.

"Oh, I got him alright. Took him out when he didn't even see it coming" Dean grinned to himself.

"Is it dead? Is this over?"

Dean didn't answer, simply smirked and gunned the engine.

xoxo

It didn't take Sam long to figure out Dean wasn't being himself, ofcourse he'd put it down to the lousy last few months, after their dad. Just before the shapeshifter case one of Dean's old pals he'd managed to keep in touch with had died, terminal cancer.

Then, they'd had another...disagreement about research on hunts and that it would be better to just go right in, guns blazing. Dean's idea, ofcourse it was.

It would be their first actual hunt since the shifter two days prior, Dean had lost his phone so they'd gotten him a new one and he'd slammed the door on the way out to get food, probably end up at a bar and not come back till two.

Sam sighed, shook his head and opened his laptop, booted it up and started to do more research on the disappearing people. Two more girls had gone missing since they'd left the Shifter in a separate state, Dean had been going drinking an awful lot, coming home sometimes beaten in the early hours, Sam waking up to see if he was okay and he normally just got his head bitten off.

Sam's cell suddenly rang, a number he recognised but listed as unknown flashed and he hesitantly answered.

"Hello?"

He heard a bus zoom by, somebody outside, on the street perhaps? And a muttered distorted voice came over the line, crackle too and a lot of static he barely understood a word they said.

"S-am...mmy?"

"Dean?" Sam asked, a frown crinkling his brow. "When are you coming back?"

Sam heard his brother pause, heard the weary sigh over the phone. "-k God you're okay...-done...you?"

"Dean? Man, I can't hear a word you're saying. Are you outside?"

Sam heard his brother yelling, something garbled and then the signal cut and he was left feeling a cold sense of dread. The front door opened, Dean stood there, an angry expression set in his features, he was holding his phone, looked to Sam and then to what Sam was holding.

There was a moment of tense silence. Dean made the first move, closed the door but kept his eyes on Sam the whole time.

Sam stood slowly and he saw his brother tense. "Where are you going?" Dean said coldly.

Something nagged Sam's mind, and the hairs on his arms prickled on instinct. His instincts were telling him to go, but his brother stood forward, blocking the door.

"Out" Sam answered shortly. "You want dinner right?"

Dean walked slowly over to Sam and he kept his face clear, he couldn't however keep the fear at bay.

"Now you being smart with me Sammy? That's not how I raised you..."

"Yeah well, sorry" Sam tried to stand forward and Dean's impossibly strong grip grabbed his upper arm.

Sam gasped, tried to pull away from the grip.

"You know what? I think we should spar Sam...you're getting a little rusty there kid"

Sam shrugged out of his grasp. "You know, I really don't feel like it" Sam fingered his phone, ready to place it into his pocket when it rang out and his eyes went wide.

Dean leaned over, saw the screen as the same number earlier and smiled. Sam stepped back, away from ...his brother? When he saw Dean's eyes flash silver.

Sam's eyes widened and he gasped, shock making him move.

"Shit" He launched backwards, pulling his phone with him and answering with his thumb. "DEAN!" He screamed as he was hit from behind, knocked to the floor his phone scattered across the carpet and he could hear his real brother call for him through the phone, feeling a deep loss and a sudden chest tightening fear that this thing here with him now _wasn't _Dean and he'd never craved his brother so much. "DEAN!"

Fisted hands tugged on his shirt, flipped him on his back and cold gleaming eyes centred down on Sam, a knife was in the shifters hands. "Now now Sammy...don't struggle, is that anyway to treat your _brother?" _

Sam grunted as his hands were pulled together and pressed with inhuman strength to his chest. His heartbeat rocketed. "Get offa' me!" Sam bit out.

The punch set his vision to double and the next one took his breath as he blinked to find the phone, it just seemed so important that he reached it and he struggled against the shifter stradling him to reach Dean's real voice again, this thing just made it sound cold.

"Shhh...shhhhhshshsh..." The knife pressed against Sam's cheek and he stilled, breathing roughly. "Do you want to speak to your brother?" The shifter taunted.

Sam froze, was it actually going to let him? "Yes" Sam gasped out and the fake Dean fucking smiled.

"Good" Sam's hands were released but the knife stayed on his cheek, slowly moving to his throat. "Don't move kid"

Sam saw the phone off to his left with his darting eyes, he could still hear Dean yelling as he heaved in calming breaths, cursing, screaming and he ached to simply _talk _to his brother again.

His phone found its way into the shifters hands and the bastard simply placed it a few milimetres from Sam's ear. "Go ahead" It grinned.

"Dean?" Sam jumped at the chance. Feeling sickend he was giving the shifter such a display for it to snidely smile so much.

_"Sammy? Fuck! What the hell did that thing do to you? Are you alright? Where are you?"_

Sam sighed, that was Dean. He felt himself relax a little just to hear his voice and then looking up to see a version of his brother ready to kill him, totally didn't freak him out at all.

"I'm all right." Sam swallowed, the knife was being pressed painfully tight against his throat and when he looked up he caught the same sadistic smile and cut off the conversation. If this thing wanted Dean to hear him suffer, he wasn't doing it.

_"Sammy, you there?"_

"It's still here Dean...with me" The knife drew blood and Sam gasped a little, he brought up his free hands to pull away some of the pressure and the shifter shook its head, glaring.

_"Hey! Why don't you talk to me for once you sonofabitch! Thought I was left for dead huh? You know what? It'll be real funny when I turn up to kick your ass!"_

"Don't bet on that Dean, I've got _your _little brother, right here at my mercy. Did you think of that before you mouthed off?..."

"_I'm gonna' kill you!" _Dean grunted over the line.

"Well Dean, I did warn you about mouthing off, seems your brother has the same problem. Lets see if I can _fix _that for him, huh?"

_"If you touch-"_

"Say bye to your brother Sammy"

"NO Dean!"- _"Sammy!"_

The dial tone was the only thing Dean could hear apart from Sam's cry and his gut clenched. His little brother was at the hands of some psycho and he couldn't even do anything about it.

Dean snapped his cell closed, chewed on his lip until he tasted blood and hastilly sought out help, he knew he could count on Bobby but he needed to know _where _Sam was and where that freak was taking him.

Dean climbed out of a small window he'd found from the creatures lair and set about to finding his brother, _yesterday_.

"Bobby? hey...listen, I need a favour...Sam's hurt"

xoxo

Sam sat against the wall, nursing his bloody lip and his swelling eye, it still wasn't right since the crash and the bruising was _just _starting to go down on his face.

The cut on the bridge of his nose had opened again and he hastilly dabbed at it with the hem of his shirt. He was starting to look a lot like he did when he'd survived the crash. He sure _felt _like he'd been hit with a semi.

The not-so-Dean was sat on the bed, cleaning the knife he'd scratched Sam's neck with and the nick on his arm when Sam had thought he could overpower him.

"You should learn to stay still when you're told, these injuries wouldn't happen then"

Sam set his jaw, ignored the thing with Dean's face. He breathed strongly through his nose.

The shifter had taken Sam's phone, along with the small switchblade he had at the base of his back and kept an ever watchful eye on him.

"You gonna' stay quiet for this whole trip?"

That did gain Sam's attention and he looked up, fear and confusion clear on his face. The shifter continued with a smile. "We can't stay here now, Dean'll just keep coming...and who'd want that?"

"You want to trap Dean or something? Kill me?...is this your sick game?" Sam glared defiantley, his voice raising.

"No, I don't have a game, or a plan Sammy...it's just fun. Seeing you pine for your brother. Pathetic" It said disgusted, stood and dropped the knife into Dean's duffle. "You ready for a little drive?"

"I'm not going anywhere with you" He set his back stiffly against the wall, drew his knees up, made it harder to be grabbed.

"Oh, really? You think you have a choice?"

The shifter took a step toward the young Winchester, Sam pushed himself to his feet, lifted his arm, palm facing his fake brother. "Don't touch me..." Sam drew his lips into a thin line. "Don't..."

The shapeshifter cocked its head. "Now, lets not be the brave hero Sammy, we both know who'd win in this fight. So I wouldn't if I were you"

Sam's breathing sped up, the threat got closer and he swung with his left, catching the creature across the jaw and it stumbled. Dean fiercely glanced back, grinned with glinting eyes.

The fight was on.

Sam hit the wall again, his back painfully tight before he was jerked forwards, caught in a right hook and then a blow to his side that literally took his breath.

Sam hit the floor, gasping. _Okay, that really hurt._ He scooted backwards, sweeping with his legs he felt the floor shudder when Dean fell with a cry and he took a pleasure in the fact he'd hurt the sucker, wearing his brother or not.

Hands grabbed his ankle and dragged him roughly along the carpet, then he stopped and the next thing Sam felt a boot kick his hurt side, he felt a rib snap and his breath seised, then his vision, taken with it all the sound.

Sam gasped loudly, wrapping one arm around himself and raising his other in a gesture of peace. "Stop...god...please..." The pain in his side flared like a match and burnt white-hot.

Rough not-Dean hands gripped his shirt front and picked him up like he weighed nothing, slammed him up against the wall where he forgot the way to talk and only cried out after that, grunted when he was moved.

Sam's head sagged, over his chest as he tried in vain to stay in control, to not pass out.

The shifter didn't seem to hit him after that, he was propped up, held there as he ached to breath a full breath and told to shut up, he must've been whimpering because he knew he couldn't speak without crying out.

Sam found himself inhaling the chevy's leather, sat in the passenger seat, his hand still wrapped around his ribs.

"You're not dying on me kid, that's too easy. And we need a trail Dean can follow"

Sam frowned, panting his breaths as he looked at the supernatural eyes that were staring at the road. He blacked out often, saw harsh buzzing lights, felt a rough grip and heard the impala's doors squeak but he didn't know where he was, didn't remember much until he woke up.

"Sam?...Son, can you hear me?"

Sam frowned, everything was too bright, blurry. "D'n..."

"Yeah, bring his brother in." The voice turned back to Sam, he felt light headed, his chest when he looked down was heavily bandaged, he felt a pressure on his arm. "Sam? You're in hospital, you had some problems breathing with your ribs like that, so we've wrapped them for you. You had a pretty nasty concussion too. You didn't need surgery but there's some medication we'd like you to take, over the next few weeks, take it easy okay? Don't go into bars by yourself in furture huh?"

He felt himself nodding, felt the pull of a wire around his face. "D'n...h're?"

"Sure sweetie"

Then thankfully, he passed out again and the next time he woke up, he was clothed in his jeans, less bandages around his chest, off the heavy duty painkillers and very clearheaded. So why was fear the first thing he felt? And then the memories came crashing back and his heartbeat sped up.

He tried to sit up but that made him gasp and splutter, so he took it slowly, eased his legs off the bed and looked around. At least _Dean_ wasn't here with him, but he needed to get away, he could be back any moment.

A nurse entered with Sam's prescription, she smiled warmly at him. "Hi Sam, how're you doing? Glad to be going home today?"

Sam blinked. "Er...yeah...yeah actually. There's something I have to do" Sam licked his lips, glancing wide-eyed behind the nurse into the hallways.

She handed him his coat, re-checked his bandages and told him to keep them tight but if he felt his chest shift or any pain at all to ease the pressure and if it got worse, seek medical attention. Yeah-yeah.

"You know, your brother's been such a good help. Always coming in, staying with you. I bet you're glad for a brother like him"

Sam thought of his real brother, she didn't know how right she was about Dean, but...this _Dean. _He didn't understand how she could misplace his brother for that...that _thing. _He felt sick he'd let it get this far, what about his Dean? Was he okay? Was he hurt?

"Yeah, uh...there's something I have to tell you" Sam looked into her soft brown eyes. "..._Dean, _he...he uh..." _He did this to me, what you think is my brother nearly killed me, but he's not, my real brother would _never, _this is a shapeshifter and it's taken me, I don't know where my real brother is._

"Yes?" She asked expectantly.

Sam blinked. As if he could tell her that and expect _not _to be locked up in the loony ward.

"Dean's not...he's the one that...that-"

"Hey Sammy...it's good to see you awake and terrorising the staff" Smug and business as he'd ever been. _Dean's _cold voice filtered in.

Sam stiffened, he saw the nurse frown but turn her head and smile at Dean anyway. "You take good care of him, don't let him out of your sight"

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it" Dean's eyes narrowed and he curled his lip in a sadistic smile.

"Bye Sam, take care now"

"Yeah..." Sam said shakily. "Sure" Sam felt his hopes die as the nurse left his room and _Dean_ moved tostand in her place.

Dean shut the door as he entered the room. Almost sealing Sam in. "You weren't going to tell that pretty _lively _nurse about me were you Sammy? Because you know..." He stood very close to Sam, his breath hot on Sam's face. "It would be an awful shame if she ended up... hurt because of you? And you know...wouldn't end well for you either Sam"

"I thought You wanted me alive" Sam pulled his face back from the shifters, didn't want to feel its breath anywhere near him.

The shifter nodded. "Well, doesn't mean I can't teach you a few lessons...and when _your _brother hears about our little hospital trip...won't he just crumble. I almost want to tell him myself"

Sam growled. "You're a dick, a stupid, vindictive sonofabitch who can't face his own problems so you just take someone-eleses face and run away...I'm not afraid of you, and neither is Dean"

An eery calm passed over the creatures face, he drew back as Sam swallowed, suddenly spinning forward and grabbing a fistful of Sam's half buttoned shirt, leaning him back over the bed and pressing his body over Sam's sore ribs he felt Sam choke back a cry.

"Well you _should _be afraid Sammy" The shifter felt his victim stutter a breath beneath him.

"Uh....ahh...get off..." Sam pushed weakly with his pinned arms, his breath straining.

Sam was released and he panted through the spike of pain in his chest, he was still under from the strong painkillers but he felt the increasing pressure and he breathed through it, or at least tried to.

The shifter passed him his coat, took Sam's medication too as Sam struggled to sit up, wrapped his sore ribs with his hand again. "We're leaving"

Sam smiled to himself despite the pain as he turned his back on the creature to stiffly reach on his coat and put his phone he'd taken from the shifters jacket into his inner pocket, then schooled his features and followed _Dean _down the hallways of the hospital, sickened at all the staff meeting and greeting the shifter as if it were a saint.

Sam couldn't make a run for it yet, not when everyone here adored that thing in front of him. They'd believe anything he told them.

Once they made their way outside Dean made sure he kept a close distance.

"You wouldn't try and run would you Sam, see I'm a lot faster and you're not in any condition to fight me"

Sam glanced to his side, felt the shifter rub against him when they walked. He really couldn't handle such an escape, and looking around no-one was about to see if his _not-_brother decided to haul him into the car again.

When the car door slammed shut Sam felt like it was a cage.

xoxo

"Dean?"

"_Yeah? tell me you got news Bobby, I'm going out of my mind here"_

"Yeah Dean, I do. But you ain't gonna' like it..."

_Dean paused. "Tell me" He said, colder._

"I tracked him down through sightings, some missing people from where you boys were, that sort of thing...Dean, he's...Sam was in a hospital, In New York...he was discharged this morning, he left with _you_. That's all I could get out of the nurses, they wouldn't tell me why he was there...he's alive though right? he's okay Dean"

_There were some curses Bobby marvelled at, then Dean's angry breathing. "The fucking bastard! I'm gonna' kill him! he even touches Sam one more time....God...Bobby, we need to find him, you said New York, I'm an hour from it now. You know where they're heading?"_

"He's heading east so far Dean...that's your best bet. Stick to small towns, dirt roads. We'll get him back son, I promise"

_"Yeah...we damn well will. I'll see you soon Bobby, thanks. keep up the search yeah?"_

"Yeah" Bobby hung up with a sigh. Goddamn those Winchester's and their troubles, it'd be the end of him.

xoxox

Sam took note of exactly where they were going, after the hospital he kept a visual journey, formed a plan that he would call Dean or text him when the shifter wasn't there, problem was. He made Sam follow him or go with him everywhere, and didn't shifters need sleep? at all?

They eventually turned into a Motel 6, Sam kept the address, he knew roughly where they were.

The shifter locked the door, the windows. Even told Sam it would tie him to the bed but Sam promised to stay, promised he'd take his medication which unfortunatley would knock him out but he had a plan around that too.

"I need to go out, which means you need to take your pills Sammy, big brother wouldn't want you getting ill again would he?"

Sam had no idea where the shifter had to go, probably to kill its next victim, he'd noticed the missing girls on the same trail the shifter had taken him, or taunt his brother some more, maybe cover their tracks.

Sam checked the dosage, took one tablet when the shifter insisted on two. "I listen to doctor's ya know Sam"

Grumbling, Sam put the small white capsules in his mouth and feigned to swallow. His brother handed him a glass of water. "Make sure you swallowed Sammy"

Sam laid out on the bed, glared at the way the creature watched him, until the drugs kicked in probably.

Slowly Sam's eyes fluttered, his lids growing heavy, the hand around his ribs loosened, went lax and his breathing evened out.

"Sam?"

Sam's brows creased gently. "Dee..." he whispered, his features smoothing out.

"I don't think I'm gonna' let go of you Sammy...you're a keeper" His eyes flashed as he wandered over Sam's still form, a vile smile as he clicked his tongue.

Sam heard the door shut, kept himself still for a minute longer before he achingly sat up, when the dizziness hit he winced, maybe he should have taken the medication, his side was really starting to throb again.

Sam spat out the mouthful of partially dissolved tablet and rinsed the sour taste away.

He rumaged in his pocket for his phone, frowning when the battery was almost dead and called the last number that he'd seen.

"God Dean....C'mon answer..." He kept checking the windows, the blinds to make sure the shifter didn't return when Dean answered gruffly.

"Aw man...you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice" Sam whispered brokenly.

"_Sammy? That...that really you?"_

"God, Dean...yeah...yeah It's me. I've missed you...I need you right now" Sam laughed to himself how stupid that sounded but he felt so much relief to just _hear _Dean again.

"_Sam, are you hurt? are you okay? We heard about the hospital, Bobby let me know...is it bad?"_

Sam hesitated. "It's not bad...I'm okay...but you need to get here, he's locked the door and I don't even know if it's watching the place"

"_Where are you Sammy?"_

"Uh...a Motel 6 on uh...Rackenter road...I'm near a town called Hea-"

_"Heapson?"_

"Yeah...yeah"

"_I'm close brother, I'll be there soon, okay? You just need to hang on, can you do that for me?"_

Tears pricked at Sam's eyes. "Yeah...yeah I can. God...you don't even know how..." _How much I've missed you..._

_"Oh, totally do bro. I've had no sidekick geek for days!...It's good to hear you too, after the other night...when I heard you yell for me and I couldn't even save you...I'm sorry Sammy, shouldn't of let that happen"_

"No, No man. I remember you...the real you I think, after I got hit with that tree...I thought something was wrong when I woke up but...God, how could I have been so stupid!"

_"Hey, it got us both. It's not your fault Sammy, and besides I'm nearly there...I'm on the racken-whatever road right now...you say Motel 6?"_

Sam nodded to himself, relief flooding through him like a drug. "Yeah, erm...room five, when you get here...just...watch your back, yeah?"

_"You too Sammy, I'll see you in a minute okay? I'm gonna' scope out the place. Stay safe"_

Sam put the phone down just as the battery bar flashed red and it beeped at him to charge it. He sighed into his hands, noticed the cuts on his face on the mirror on one of the wardrobes. He looked like he'd taken a hell of a beating and the images from after the crash came back to haunt him. He also felt the cut on his neck and his arm tighten when he moved with what he knew to be bandages or wraps. He wondered what lie the shifter had told the hospital, why they'd released him so early and hadn't asked him any questions, why the cops hadn't got involved?

Sam heard the wooden boards outside creak and he turned his head, hope and dread both filling him.

If it was Dean...he smiled in thought, then the heart felt like it had sunk, but if it was the shifter...Dean would just be another step behind them, like always.

The lock clicked and the door opened slowly.

Sam knew he'd see Dean, but he didn't know which one.

Wide eyes took in Sam's painful hunched form on the bed and he winced for the kid. "Sammy?"

Sam stood stiffly, a half smile on his face. "Dean" He breathed.

"You ready to go kid?"

The hope burst into flames, Sam swallowed. His _Dean _didn't say kid...

"Cos I'm not" The door slammed behind him and the shifter stepped forward. "You think I'd leave you, alone like this? You think I'm a fool...that I _didn't _feel your hands in my pocket at the hospital? You...reeeaally...think...I'm that stupid to fall for your fake-sleep trick, C'mon. Give me a little credit...and Sammy..." It stepped so close, cornering Sam in.

It whispered. "You think I don't know who's coming for you?"

Sam closed his eyes in defeat, he bit his lip. "He's already here" He said strongly. "And he'll kill you"

The shifters eyes slid sidewards to the blinds, just a flicker but it was there and then as a mad blur, strong arms wrapped around Sam's throat, one hand laying dangerously on Sam's damaged ribs.

Sam inhaled a sharp breath as he tried to pry the grip away from the pain in his side, the door clicked again and no hope, only dread filled the young Winchester this time.

"Dean!...no...wait!"

The door was already open, shock, relief and a whole batch of thunderous rage rippled across Dean's face. He shut the door with his boot, stepped forward so he was about a foot from his brother.

"I suggest you get your theiving mits off _my _brother" Dean growled out the warning, pulled the gun he'd kept at his side up and aimed just off from Sam's head. "Now"

The shifter smiled above Sam's shoulder, from the way it held Sam at an angle he appeared taller, he kept a strong grip on Sam and from his little brother's pleading eyes Dean could tell the flat hand over Sam's ribs hurt him, from the way Sam was gripping to pull it off Dean wanted to shoot the bastard right there and then.

Then the hand pressed on Sam. Hard.

His brothers face contorted in agony, he could see how hard Sam was trying not to scream, to make any other noise besides control his breathing but the bastard nudged him again, jerked his hand over Sam's side and this time Sam screamed.

"SAM!" Dean ran forward to be stopped when the shifter dug his fingers in and Sam screamed again, flew his head back as his eyes squeezed and he choked on his next breath. "Stop it!"

"Stay right where you are Dean..."

"Fine! Just stop hurting him!" Dean panted as Sam fought the tears, he hung his head forward and heaved what little breath he could, Sam had a white-knuckled death grip on the shifters hand and he did his best to pry them off, his knees sagged a little when he went pale but he simply shut his eyes.

"Can't...hur...me...n't...'fraid...you" Sam whispered weakly, Dean felt his heart swell with pride. His little brother, kicking evil in the face and spitting in its eye, Well damn.

"Oh yeah? I think I can hurt you boy. And you _are _afraid...I can just _feel _it in your heart beat" As if to prove a point the shifter squeezed just over Sam's heart again and Sam gasped, groaned in the back of his throat and blinked through the sting in his eyes.

"Let him go. Now...or I'll shoot through Sam's shoulder if I have to. And I've got good aim" Dean said coldly. He looked at Sam briefly, saw the understanding and the acceptance there, not that it would come down to that, he didn't want to cause Sam anymore pain than he had to but he knew Sam trusted him more than anything and that's what he needed.

"You know Dean...it's been fun. These last few days, hurting Sammy here...hurting you...I think I'll miss them"

"You'll be dead you sonofabitch, anything that messes with Sam ends up in the ground. Get it?"

The shifter smiled. "Didn't Sam tell you, he thought it was you? All this time...well, up until you called. He thought..._I _was_ you_..."

"No" Sam gritted out, struggling in the shifters hold. "Knew...t'wasn't...Dean...would, never...you're not...him"

_Attaboy Sammy..._ Dean smiled to himself, managed to take better aim, Sam was giving him the advantage to get a clearer shot here and he wasn't gonna' waste his brothers' pain for anything.

The shifter turned a feral smile on Sam, edged further out from his little-brother-meat-sheild to whisper something, no doubt something that would haunt Sam in his dreams for a long time but it gave an opening and Dean could hit the thing in the chest, the heart if he was lucky, so he aimed...just as Sam's eyes widened with what the shifter said, he fired.

Sam cried out after Dean took the shot and he thought he'd hit Sam but then Dean felt a hot white pain sting by his arm and saw a reddening patch above Sam's jeans and he just knew what had happened.

The shifter dropped Sam, who crumbled like a cheap tent and held a hand to his abdomen. Dean had managed to hit the creature in the shoulder and as he raised his gun one final time, as did his mirrored self.

Sam kicked out with his leg and the creature fell, the gun skidded over to the fallen Winchester and he grappled for it, panting strained breaths.

The shifter shot to its feet, glaring pure hatred at Sam, one arm grabbing it's bleeding shoulder. Sam's world turned sickenly, blurred browns and greens of the wallpaper made it out like bizarre trees.

Sam rose his arm, a snarl planted on his face and he saw the shifters eyes widen, a look of fear on its face. Sam fired and watched it drop.

The shifter fell, the smug look on its face wiped clean, it died with shock, fell where it stood, splayed on the floor. Sam sagged, his whole body ached with a need he couldn't give it, so he gave into the pain, closed his eyes.

Dean sighed, took a heaving breath and almost ran to his brother on the floor where he fell.

"Sammy? Dude?...hey, open your eyes Sam. Now"

Sam moved, turned his head and saw the shot Dean, he frowned then glanced up, his eyes too bright. "We get 'im De'n..."

"Yeah, yeah _you_ did dude. Listen, we need a hospital okay?" At Sam's groan he nodded. "Yeah I know, another one. But you're shot Sammy, the bastard had a gun at your back...and I don't know what he did..." Dean looked over his brother for the first time in days.

_Your face...God Sammy, your eye...you're shot again! Your chest...God...what happened?..._

Dean reached over where the shifter had made Sam scream and gently rested his hand over the area, he felt the bandage beneath and frowned through his own tears.

Ribs, broken. Now he got it, not to mention his brothers numerous cuts and scrapes, the bruises all over his body.

"...'sion...true...all..."

"Sammy? What?"

"The...vision...I get it...now..."

Sam blinked up. "You're...bleeding De'n..." Sam reached his hand up to touch Dean's bloodied arm.

"Yeah well...it's just a scratch Sammy...you need a hospital"

Sam frowned, only just noticed the painful numbing pressure Dean was putting over his abdomen. "I'm...hit?"

"Yeah, but stay awake okay? I called an ambulance-"

Huh, Sam didn't remember him doing that.

"...be...soon Sammy...bleeding...die...me...now...Sam?"

Sam heard some more slurred sentences with blanks and eventually all he felt was a spinning blackness that filled every part of him. It felt good, Dean was there and everything was alright now.

It didn't stay like that.

He opened his mind to pain, firey all consuming pain that left his hands shaking and his mind reeling and when he opened his eyes, some freak in a white lab coat decided to send jabbs of pain into his eyes with the burning lights.

Sam jerked back and thought he made some kind of noise and then the light stopped, he heard Dean's rough voice and what sounded like a pretty deadly threat, then his hand was squeezed and Dean promised him it was all going to be alright.

xoxoxo

"Look who finally woke up"

Sam blinked. "Dean?" he croaked, it was barely audiable. Antiseptic, bright white. _Oh..._

"Hey, you okay?"

He finally saw Dean, his Dean. The _real _Dean. He was sitting with his arm in a bright white sling, bags under his eyes and a days stubble but he'd never relished the sight so much.

"Hey..." he cleared his throat. "How long?"

"Nearly two days. They had to do something to set your ribs properly, and...the friggin' hole in your stomach. That had to be patched up. You broke another rib you idiot, and they had to stitch your back...you remember anything that happened there?"

Sam saw Dean's worried face again and smiled softly.

Sam drew his eyebrows together. "No...I don't think so, don't remember everything"

Dean nodded, grew silent. "So..." He said after several minutes.

Sam watched him, his voice ached to be spoken.

"I'm glad you found me Dean. Thanks for getting outta' there and...lookin' so hard. I'm sorry I didn't get out, he...everything was just..." Tears stung his eyes and he swallowed.

"Yeah. I get it man" Dean smiled slowly, Sam mirrored him and looked away when he felt a sting in his eyes.

_Love ya too, kiddo'._

"What happened to you anyway?" Sam sniffed, blinking.

"He knocked me out with the same damn tree as you I think...I thought I'd got him, but...when I looked the body was gone, you were out and then, bam...wake up in some creepy basement, found my cell and the first time I could get through to you..." Dean remembered the moment he'd heard Sam's voice.

_Are you outside? I can't tell a word you're saying..._

_Thank God, so good to hear you Sammy...what has it done to you?_

_DEAN!_

_SAMMY!_

_DEAN!_

_Sam! Hold on! Leave him alone you bastard!_

"I'm glad you did. I didn't know for sure...woke up in the motel and, it all felt wrong when I saw you. Then we just booked, took me a while to figure it out, it was pretending to be you. I thought you were still pissed at me, or I was still a little off..."

"Did he hurt you Sammy? I mean...apart from the three-surgeries an' all..." _Did he say anything? _

"No, once he..uh, it came back and saw me with the phone, you'd just called the first time and I knew...it just looked at me and, it didn't even _try _to be you after that, just stole your face. The hospital believed his act...but they don't know us right"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, they don't know us" Dean's spare hand reached forward to hold Sam's, he grinned at the firm girp he found there.

"At least we know what my vision meant huh?"

Dean huffed, as if a freaky vision that would scare the hell out of Sam for carrying fire arms for weeks was ever good news, the fact they'd completley overlooked the possibilty it wasn't _Dean _Dean in the vision made him smile.

Sam glanced across at Dean. "You wanna' know how I knew?" Sam quirked up a tired smile.

"Yeah..."

"He didn't tuck me in, or take off my shoes"

Dean pulled a frown, did a double take at his brother.

Sam laughed.

It was the messed up childhood and the freakish close brother relationship that really made them who they were, no shape-changing blob would change that.

**The end.**

**There ya go lovies. My weird story for another few weeks, when I get the time, they'll be plenty more!!**


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